Assistant Professor Earns 2025-26 Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (April 21, 2026) – Ecaterina Stepaniuc, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (JOMC) at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, has received the 2025-26 Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award in recognition of her innovative teaching, commitment to student success and mentorship.

Sponsored by the University of North Carolina System, this award recognizes outstanding early-career faculty whose teaching advances student achievement and academic excellence across the university. Each college dean appoints a faculty awards committee that reviews applications and forwards nominees to the university-wide Teaching Excellence Awards Committee, whose members represent each school and college and are appointed by the chancellor based on recommendations from the provost.

“Teaching excellence is central to our commitment to student achievement and institutional distinction,” said Catherine Edmonds, Ed.D., N.C. A&T interim provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “Your work exemplifies the care, creativity and scholarly approach to teaching that empowers our students to thrive both inside and beyond the classroom. We are proud to recognize the difference you make in the lives of our students and in the strength of our academic community.”

Stepaniuc was nominated by associate professor Kim Smith, Ph.D., and endorsed by JOMC faculty and students in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS).

“If a girl raised in a Moldovan village could achieve her dreams through hard work, consistency, and education, then my students can too,” said Stepaniuc. “This recognition reminds me that education is not only about what we teach, it is about how we help students see who they can become.”

Stepaniuc joined CAHSS in 2022 after earning her Ph.D. in mass communications from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Beyond the classroom, Stepaniuc maintains a vibrant research and teaching agenda centered on mentorship and student engagement. Her approach emphasizes experiential learning and helping students connect coursework to their personal and professional goals through projects published in student-run media outlets and professional portfolios that document their growth.

In Stepaniuc’s Introduction to Multimedia course, students use Adobe Creative Suite applications to develop dynamic media content. In her Page Design and Layout Publication course, students produce a 32-page newsletter, JOMC Connections, applying classroom theory through hands-on practice.

“What continues to inspire me most are the transformations I witness in my students,” said Stepaniuc. “Seeing their confidence grow and their potential unfold motivates me to be intentional in my teaching. The heartfelt, handwritten notes I receive at the end of each semester serve as powerful reminders that my investment in their success truly matters.”

Stepaniuc will be formally recognized and presented with a plaque at the university’s Awards Celebration on Thursday, April 30.